Q: How long is the milk good for?
A: Raw milk is perishable and a “live food” meaning it is rich in active enzymes and probiotics. The very reason it maintains it’s benefits also means it should be used in a timely manner. Foods that are loaded with preservatives or heat treated and pasteurized may have a longer shelf life but the same reason it cannot be broken down easily by bacteria on the shelf is the same reason that the bacteria in the human stomach would also have a hard time digesting and breaking down the food to provide nutrition to the body. Raw milk and it’s handling will affect the shelf life. We cannot guarantee the shelf life but it is on average good as drinkable milk for 1 week after bottling if handled properly. So getting it into a refrigerator sooner will prolong its life. Clues to know when milk is still good is if it smells “right” and if it tastes “right”. Sour milk means it is already going through the fermentation process. Some times this yields another product like yogurt or kefir and is still a nutritious food but as is true of most things in life it is best to do your own research.
Q: My milk is turning sour, is it “bad” ?
A: Unlike pasteurized milk raw milk is a living food and as such has many living cultures and active enzymes which will cause it to start to ferment into a clabber/kefir/yogurt -like product. We have found this characteristic to have many health benefits. This product is not edible but rich in probiotics and enzymes. Many purposely use raw milk to create fermented products. You can add cultures to the milk to get a specific product like kefir or yogurt or experiment and allow it to ferment with the cultures already in it, we’ve done both. You can also use this milk and turn it into mozzarella (see below). It’s rare that it will actually spoil as in grow mold and become inedible. So that is the key difference between raw milk turning sour through natural ‘fermentation’ and pasteurized milk ‘spoiling’ where there is a lack of native cultures and instead noxious species start to grow in the milk and lead to mold which makes the milk inedible. That being said some people are not used to the taste or simply do not prefer unintended fermented milk products, this is more based on preference. See below for more details on what you can do with milk that is starting to ferment.
Q: My milk is turning sour, what can I do with it?
A: If you find that the milk is still pleasant enough to drink you can drink it as a yogurt or kefir-like drink. If not or if you just want to, you can make a simple mozzarella cheese. Heat the milk to 115 F, then turn off the heat. Depending on how much acid has already developed in the milk you may actually see the milk separate as you heat it, this is a good thing and how people used to make simple cheeses. The whey would sour over time and be added into cheese recipes as the acid. In your case you will probably need more acid. You can use lemon juice, distilled white vinegar, apple cider vinegar or basically any vinegar of your choice but be mindful the vinegar will impart it’s flavor to the cheese often resulting in really interesting flavors. Pour the acid in very slowly and stir. You will add just enough till you see the milk curds have formed and there is a clearish yellow liquid left over, this is also called ‘whey’ but not the same kind that results from fermentation with a high acid content. Let the cheese rest about 15 minutes (optional, you can skip if in a hurry). Then pour into a colander and let it drain. You can press on the cheese to get more to drain out. This simple recipe has will not result in a stretchy mozarella but it’s simplicity avoid reheating and stretching the cheese. You can eat it right away or store in a container in the refrigerator.
Q: Can I freeze the milk?
A: If you transfer the milk to a freezer safe container like a plastic bottle you can freeze it to use later. The milk has a lot of water so will expand when freezing so keep this in mind. It can cause glass to break. The milk is still drinkable and usable after thawing. Although this is one way to save your raw milk to use at a later date many of the benefits of raw milk is loss with freezing. Remember this is a living food, as a living food it would not live through extreme temperatures such as freezing or high heat. I will sometimes think would I survive a freeze or boiling? NO? Will the enzymes and microbes don’t like it either.
Q: Is cream available?
A: Currently we are not separating off the cream and bottling it to provide to members although we are considering this for the future. However if you love cream like we do you can get your own fresh raw cream from the jars of milk. The cream will naturally separate and you will see a cream-line, you can then extract your own cream by scooping out the top of the jar. Some people decant it off the top by pouring but I have found that some of the milk will mix in, you are free to see if this method works for you. The scooping seems to work well just keep an eye on that cream-line so you are skimming off cream. You may need to wait if you do not see a cream line yet or if the cream line is shallow. It can take a day for most of the cream to separate and you to see that cream-line.
Q: What’s A2/A2 milk?
A: In summary A2 protein is supposed to be more digestable than the A1 protein. A cow having A2/A2 will only have the A2 protein in her milk whereas an A1/A2 will have a mix and A1/A1 will only have A1 protein. Most commercial cows will have a mixture. Unless specifically stated on the milk that it is A2/A2 it is likely you are getting milk that has a mixture. Some people have reported health benefits to switching to all A2 milk as it can have less of a inflammatory byproduct after metabolizing compared to A1. If you have had issues digesting milk in the past but want to give milk another raw A2/A2 milk may be a path for you to explore. or more information on A2/A2 milk click here.
Q: Why can’t I “buy” raw milk? Why do I need to be a member?
A: The statues are different in every state. In Colorado we cannot “sell” you raw milk. But it is lawful for any free man or women to use the milk from their own cow as they see fit. So a milk share also known as a “herd share” is a way for you to have own a small percentage of a cow for a defined period of time by providing boarding fees that go towards taking care of the cows. As the cow produces milk you get some of this milk as a gift. In Colorado this is a way for people to have access to raw milk.
Q: How much is a milk share?
A: Check out our milk share page for details.
Q: Is this whole milk or skim milk?
A: This is raw milk straight from the cow with no manipulation other than putting it in a jar and refrigerating so it is whole milk, nothing is added or removed. But since it is not homogenized the cream will separate and float to the top, if you look closely you will see a cream-line. If you like cream this is a great way to get raw cream by scooping it out. What will be left is milk with a reduced fat content. If you remove all the cream then you are left with skim milk. If you prefer to drink whole milk you can shake up your milk right before using it and this will mix the cream back into the rest of the milk. Sometime I like to just pour it without mixing and I get these little delicious lumps of cream, this is usually after the cream has settled to the top for a few days or more. The milk is versatile and you can decide what you want to do with it.
Q: Will there be other dairy products?
A: Currently we are only making dairy products for our own use at home. But we will likely have cheese available to members in the near future. The website will be updated at that point.
Q: Will you have milk this Winter?
A: We are planning to provide milk shares as long as the cows produce enough milk and it’s feasible for us through the Winter weather. Since we won’t be at the Farmers Market in the Winter you can pick up raw milk at Local Roots Market Place (on Seventh). They do not manage the raw milk share membership but were generous in allowing us to keep a refrigerator there. They are open Thursday-Sunday, 10AM-5:30 PM.
Q: Where besides the Farmers Market can I pick up raw milk?
A: Throughout Summer we will still plan to drop off milk at at Local Roots Market Place (on Seventh). They do not manage the raw milk share membership but were kind enough in allowing us to keep a refrigerator there for members to pick up milk. They are open Thursday-Sunday, 10AM-5:30 PM.
Q: Do you deliver?
A: At this time we do not. The logistics do not make it doable for us at this point in time. If this changes we will update the website.